Spanish Fabada Asturiana

Name: Spanish Fabada Asturiana
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 20 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 lb dried faba beans or large lima beans, soaked overnight; 8 oz pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks; 4 oz Spanish chorizo, sliced into thick rounds; 4 oz morcilla or blood sausage, sliced thick; 1 medium medium onion, finely diced; 4 clove garlic cloves, minced; 1 tsp sweet paprika (pimentón dulce preferred); 1 pinch saffron threads, lightly crushed; 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; salt and freshly ground black pepper

Rich Asturian Fabada — Spain's Ultimate Bean Stew Worth Every Patient Hour

From the misty mountains of Asturias comes this legendary bean stew that turns simple ingredients into pure comfort gold. The magic happens when creamy faba beans meld with smoky chorizo, earthy blood sausage, and tender pork through hours of gentle simmering. Every spoonful delivers the soul of northern Spain.

SpanishDinnerHigh ProteinComfort FoodOne PotSlow CookerPorkWinter

Prep20 min

Cook3 hrs

Total3 hrs 20 min

Servings6

Difficultymedium

Nutrition

fat32g

carbs35g

protein28g

calories520

Ingredients

1 lbdried faba beans or large lima beans, soaked overnight
8 ozpork shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks
4 ozSpanish chorizo, sliced into thick rounds
4 ozmorcilla or blood sausage, sliced thick
1 mediummedium onion, finely diced
4 clovegarlic cloves, minced
1 tspsweet paprika (pimentón dulce preferred)
1 pinchsaffron threads, lightly crushed
2 tbspextra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Drain your soaked beans and transfer them to a large pot. Cover with cold water by about 2 inches — the beans will absorb plenty as they cook and you don't want them going dry.
Bring the beans to a rolling boil, then dial the heat back to maintain a steady simmer. Cook until the beans are tender but still hold their shape — they should give way easily when pressed with a fork but not turn to mush.
⏱ 45 min
In a separate heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the pork chunks and brown them thoroughly on all sides — this creates the foundational flavor layer for your stew.
⏱ 8 min
Toss the diced onion and minced garlic into the pot with the pork. Cook until the onion turns translucent and everything smells aromatic — this base will carry the entire dish.
⏱ 5 min
Sprinkle in the paprika and crushed saffron, stirring constantly so they release their fragrance without burning. Thirty seconds is plenty — you'll smell the difference immediately.
⏱ 30 sec
Add your cooked beans along with all their cooking liquid to the pot, followed by the chorizo and morcilla slices. The bean liquid is pure gold — it's where much of the stew's richness comes from.
Check your liquid level — ingredients should be barely covered. Add hot water if needed, then bring everything to a gentle simmer. You want just tiny bubbles breaking the surface, not a vigorous boil.
Cover the pot and let the stew simmer lazily over low heat, stirring every 15-20 minutes and adding hot water as needed. The beans will break down slightly and thicken the liquid into something luxurious.
⏱ 1 hr 30 min
Taste and season with salt and pepper — the chorizo and morcilla add plenty of flavor, so go easy at first. Let the fabada rest off the heat to allow the flavors to settle and the stew to thicken further.
⏱ 10 min